The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1887-10-06
ANENT DIVISION.

Our opinion expressed two weeks
ago concerning the division question
and the character Of those who were
urging it upon the people has excited
our journalistic neighbors to an alarm.
ing extent; verify quite lively.
We propose to ventilate the suppos.
ed sincerity of those who advocate di.
vision and give q few reasons from GU,
standpoint why division per SO is unau.
thorized and Unnecessary, at the same
time we must beg pardon of our read
ers for the time and space taken up il
exposing the puerility, pusillanimity
~perversity and personality that more
or less characterize the tone Of the ar.
ticles published in our neighboring ex.
changes. Personality and p~erversity
are not arguments, whether in abuse
of your enemies and laudation OF
your friends or the wilful distortion
of words and facts, and to our mind
that INDUCED in by N OF our neigh.
'bors, merits only contempt from every
candid man.
A perusal Of another lengthy 90
called argument! is a weak invention
of the enemy in assuming that to be
an argument which was declared to be
simply an opinion and in the sense
that it was a begging of the question
betrays the puerile character of the au-
thor. The attempt Of the third and
last of our contemporaries who in a
labored and studied editorial, the first,
(even if this may be digniied by such
Nance that has ever appeared in the
columns of the paper referred to, as
sumes to take us to task for "denoun-
cling the division question and perpe-
'trates the old chestnuts about the
Democratic party keeping Dakota out
of the union &c, forgetting all about
the fact that in 1882 it was a Repub.
lican president and congress that in
dignantly denied the pretentious claim
of division, a synonym for secession.
and refused,admission.
The heavy thought contained in the
article alluded to-, coupled with the
following two lines which appeared at
the same time, (Which we. wijlsay, have
more of truth in them than anything
that ever appeared in that enterpris-
ing! jo~urnaD-viz:," North Dakota isfm
admission as a maole, IN spite Of a fen
hoaoling cranks, show hat for once
at least it has stumbled on the truth
and that therefore it should be elevat-
ed to the ranks Of the "howling cranks"
whore it appropriately and VIGOROUSLY
belongs, and We respectfully offer for
the consolation of the bowling editor
of the willowy bird, the memorable
words Of Dogberry that close the End
scene of the 4th act Of much Ado
about Nothing"
As they say in french, revenons a
nos moutohs; we desire to present
for the information Of our readers,
with a view to their intelligent deter
mination Of the all absorbing question
of the division Of the territory, such
facts and illustrations historical and
otherwise as will enable them also to
cote understandingly. In doing this
we will lie governed to some extent
by the principle POLITICALLY expressed
bv Horace-ftas est a5 hoste doceri, and
as in all movements affecting the pub
Tic veal we must judge by the official
acts and antecedants Of men in order
to determine the sincerity Of their pro-
LESSONS, 50 we propose to profit by the
lessons which the leaders Of this divi-
sion movement have taught us, with
the object if possible, Of bettering the
instruction,
i The principal reasons assigned by
its advocates tor the necessity Of divi-
sion may be summed up as follows:
1st.-The magnitude, geographical
ly speaking, Of the territory, by which
may be included the large and con-
stantly increasing population, causing
au unwieldiness, and necessarily Great
ing all expense which it is desirable
to obviate.
2d.-The alleged diversity Of in
interests between the South and North.
3d.-The publication Of legislative
matters.
! 4th.-The spirit of carpet bagism
and denunciation Of the Democratic
party.
5th.-The increased power in Con.
gress.
. 6th.-That the people of Dakota
have the right to say how and in what
manner they shallcome into the union,
with what institutions sthey shall be
furnished, and define the boundaries
of their proposed states.
- The assertion upon which the great
est sites is ] laid and upon which 1t is
sought by the leaders of the division
movement, to excite the prejudices
and passions of the people is that it
is j.. natural right for the people Of
Dakota todetcrmine its boundaries, and
its institutions. Only one who adyo-
Gates the spirit of secession and who is
entirely ignorant of the power of Con.
gress, under the constitution, v TIE
Territories, would be guilty Of circu-
lating such a revolutionary doctrine.
The only limitation imposed is that
which was made upon the Louisiana
purchase defining the least number Of
people and that it should be Of a re.
publican form ofgovernment. The adj
mission Of states from territories has
80 ha., allowed hecaraa If any ripht